THE MODERATE LEAGUE

Timaru Herald, Volume CVIII, Issue 16983, 15 November 1919, Page 14

THE MODERATE LEAGUE

MEETING: IN LYCEUM,

There was a very small attendance at the meeting in the Lyceum laso night, which was called by the Moderate League to hear addresses on the State Control of the Liquor Traffic by the Rev. J. Milne, M.A., Thames, and Mr E. U. Just, organising secretary ■of the New Zealand Moderate League. Mr W. R. Pearson presided, and suitably introduced the speakers. Us regretted there was not a larger attendance that evening. He thought it was advisable to hear all sides oi a question, and lie was sure the speakers would receive an attentive hearing. The Rev. Jas. Milne, who was well | received, after expressing his pleasure lat being in Tima.ru, said he had | studied the question of the liqaor ; trade for twenty-Jive years, one of the most important economic questions of the day and it wasi also a moral one. The liquor traffic, he said, overrun J the Government of the Home Cuuntrs and the tendency in this coualrv w r .s leaning that way. The liquor traffic had an enormous influence in politics. The present licensing system was not adapted for the present day and its needs; in fact it was about the b^ss ; that could be devised to defeat th* very end it wag meant to serve. The only adequate amendment to the prra. sent system would be the elimination 'of private profit from the sale of strong drink. Economics taught that if anything were to be reformed that thinor must not be removed. The thine: to be reformed must be made , conformable to the new conditions it was to serve, and the smaller the step in the upward direction the more likely was the reform to be a permanent one. This was very true of prohibition. The trade was too strongly entrenched to be voted out. He referred at length to the work of the Control Board in the Home Country and quoted from official reports to illustrate the satisfactory results which had attended State control at Carlisle. The Government at Home had taken steps to adopt the principle but this was thrown out by. a combination of the two extremes—the trade and the pronibitiomsts. Under State control the hqiior sold would be pure; there could be no competition between vendors, and the placing of the control of liquor in the hands of a Comptroller or Commissioner would at once remove the Trade from political influence. This would he the first step to make the state morally strong enough for the . great problems which lay head of it. Mr Just dealt with the financial as- [ rieci of State control. ,and replied to arguments of the prohibitionists against it. He was charged with quoting fictitious figures but he denied such an j accusation. Most of his figures were ' from Statistics. The speaker quoted i detail estimates of the cost of State I purchase, of hotels, breweries, wine and spirit merchants, aud wine makers, with goodwill equal to two years' profits. The total came to 9f millions. Of this If could be recovered at once bv sales of properties, leaving actual assets 6.2 millions. The only payment for which there would be no -realisable asset would be the goodwill for two years' profits. The Stat© would get these, and be saved the present rents, these together would make a profit of over a million, and deducting interest on 8 millions would be £712,500 net profit. Then there would be the present State revenue from Customs and Excise to the good. He contended that State purchase was the most effective, econbmica land practical way to deal with the liquor problem. At the close several questions were asked, a number of which the chairman considered were not relevant. The Rev. W. A. Hay asked Mr Milne sevei'al questions regarding Lord TVAbernon's speeches on the Carlisle experiment, and in reply to another question, Mr Just said, the people of New Zealand would confiscate a roan's property as was proposed by the prohibit! oni sts.

The chairman moved -the thanks of those present to the speakers of their addresses and this wag carried with applause.

A similar compliment to the chairman concluded' the meeting.